‘India won’t compromise interests of farmers, dairy, workers in trade deals’

New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said India will not compromise with the interests of farmers, dairy and workers in trade deals.

He also said India is looking for new markets such as Russia for the country’s fishery sector, which is facing issues due to the steep tariffs in the US. He said India and the US are negotiating a good proposed bilateral trade agreement.

“We are working for a good trade deal. India is not going to compromise with the interests of farmers, dairy and workers... We are working on a fair equitable and balanced trade deal,” he said here at Udyog Samagam 2025 — a conference of industries and commerce ministers of states. “We want a fair, equitable and balanced trade deal (with the US). If that happens, it could happen any day, it could happen tomorrow, it may happen next month, it may happen next year... But as a government, we are preparing for everything,” he said. India and the US are negotiating a bilateral trade agreement. So far, five rounds of talks have been completed. Meanwhile, an official said another round of negotiations may not be necessary.

“The US has to get back to us. India is negotiating most comprehensive and detailed and WTO complaint trade deal,” the official said, adding that India is carefully protecting its sensitive sectors. On the India-New Zealand Free Trade pact, the official said talks are almost complete.

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will visit India on Friday to give an impetus to the trade talks. On India- EU trade pact, the official said talks are progressing and the EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is expected to visit India in the second week of December for trade talks. PTI